Department News and Updates

On March 15th at approximately 4:30 A.M., the San Francisco Police Department
received a call regarding a suspect jumping on the roof of a taxi cab. The suspect was
identified as Peter Russell, 25, San Francisco resident. The taxi cab driver, fearing for
his safety, exited the taxi cab and fled. Russell stole the taxi cab and fled the area.
The taxi cab was tracked by global positioning system (GPS) to the area of Jackson
and Spruce Street.

Officers responded to the area and located the stolen taxi cab at the dead end of
Spruce Street. As the officers approached Russell, he made a u-turn and drove the
stolen taxi cab directly at the officers and their patrol vehicles. As the officers leaped
out of the path of the oncoming vehicle, one officer fired his service weapon at Russell.
The stolen taxi cab struck one of the patrol vehicles as it fled the area.

The taxi cab was tracked to the Fort Mason area and the abandoned taxi cab was
located near Octavia and Bay Streets. Russell was located nearby and arrested
without incident. Russell was booked into San Francisco County Jail on the following
charges: carjacking, assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer and driving
while under the influence.